October 28, 2009
Tricare Denying Coverage of Facet Nerve Blocks and Radiofrequency Denervations |
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ASIPP recently received a report from Ohio that Tricare North is now denying facet nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablations citing a July 24, 2009 policy change ruling the procedure investigational and unproven. Tricare North includes a total of 20 states: CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, WI, WV, VA, VT.
Prior to this date, Tricare (North) has routinely reimbursed for these procedures. The July 24, 2009 policy change is specific to CPT codes 64622, 64623, 64626, and 64627. If you received denials from Tricare for this procedure, we would like to hear from you. Please contact the ASIPP office at asipp@asipp.org |
Special Registration Price Available for Fellows |
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ASIPP has recently launched an initiative to assist Fellows and Residents in their endeavor of becoming a qualified interventional pain physician. We understand the cost challenges you face. In support of your efforts, ASIPP is offering its upcoming Spinal Cord, Intrathecal Implantables, or Discal Therapies Review Course and Cadaver Workshop at a special price of $500 to Fellows and Residents. We want it to be, not only an exceptional learning experience, but also a memorable one. We encourage residents to bring other interested residents and fellows to further offset the already reduced hotel and ground transportation costs. We want residents and fellows to use this meeting to not only improve their procedure competency, but also understand the importance of political advocacy, and to network with one another. If you have any questions, please contact Haroon Hameed, Founder of our Resident and Fellows Section (RFS), at hhameed1@jhmi.edu
This special offer is just available for the Dec. 4-6, 2009 course.
Click here and visit our Facebook page devoted to ASIPP members that are Fellows and Residents.
Register Today! |
Noridian comment period ends Saturday |
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Noridian's extended comment period ends Saturday, Oct. 31. Now is the time to send your letter to help us convince them that this ruling will be devastating to the states currently covered under this carrier, and also do great harm to patient access.
Please e-mail the letter since it must be received by this Saturday. You may e-mail it to policyb.dra fts@noridian.com or to the directors as noted on the ASIPP sample letter.
Click on this link for a sample comment letter to assist you in contacting Noridian. You should customize it on your personal or business letterhead and expand as you desire. It is much more effective to send a letter that reflects the facts from your personal standpoint. To help you expound on your own letter, we are also providing the Comment letter sent by ASIPP . Please feel free to use the references and supporting evidence to assist you in creating your own letter.
We have provided a link to a sample comment letter to Noridian and also a Capwiz link to assist you in contacting Congress. Please don't delay - act soon and encourage others to respond as well.
If you have trouble with any of the links provided in this letter, you can access this information on the ASIPP Web site: http://www.asip p.org/index.html |
Early Registration Deadline Nov. 13 for Spinal Cord Stimulation, Intrathecal Implantables, or Discal Therapies Review Course and Cadaver Workshop |
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Register before Nov. 13 to receive room rate discounts for the Intrathecal Implantables & Discal Therapies Review Course and Cadaver Workshop December 4-6 in Memphis, TN.
This intensive comprehensive review course and cadaver workshop in spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal implantables and discal therapies will cover all aspects of these techniques providing a comprehensive overview of the subjects, with extensive case discussions and interactions with the faculty. During the 2½ day event, participants will be presented with lectures on spinal cord stimuation, intrathecal implantables and discal therapies. In order to provide a more focused learning experience, you will be provided the opportunity to choose either spinal implantables or discal therapies for the hands-on lab.
Whether you have been practicing these procedures for many years or you are new to the field with basic skills, we are confident you will find this comprehensive review course and hands-on cadaver workshop to be beneficial, as it is essential to learn new and relevant information to survive in the new millennium.
The seminar will be conducted at the Peabody Memphis and the world famous Medical Education and Research Institute ( MERI) in Memphis, TN. Register by November 13 to receive a room discount of $195 per night.
Register Today |
ASIPP Guidelines Accepted to NGC |
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The 2009 update of ASIPP's Comprehensive evidence-based guidelines for interventional techniques in the management of chronic spinal pain have been accepted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and NATIONAL GUIDELINE CLEARINGHOUSE (NGC)
The NGC web site is currently undergoing revisions, so the guidelines are not available on the site as of yet.
To view the updated guidelines click here.
ASIPP Guidelines |
Democratic Leaders Say Reform Bill Will Pass, With or Without GOP |
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Five of the Senate Democratic leaders who have been key in pushing through healthcare legislation created a united front on Tuesday on Capitol Hill-predicting in a news conference that Congress will pass a reform bill by the end of the year. This will be achieved, they declared, even if Republicans decline to go along with the legislative process to overhaul healthcare.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who was joined by Senators Max Baucus (D-MT), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), said the issue of "guaranteeing access to quality, affordable care transcends liberals, moderates, and conservatives." They are still working on a bill that will be introduced on the Senate floor soon.
HealthLeaders Media |
Seniors Squeezed as Doctors Shun Medicare |
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If a proposed 21% cut in payment rates goes through in 2010, it could spark a physician boycott against new enrollees.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Medicare has become a scary word to the doctors at the largest private group practice in Kansas City, Mo. It's so scary that most physicians at Kansas City Internal Medicine, with 65% of its nearly 70,000 active patients age 65 or older, have stopped accepting walk-in Medicare enrollees, said Dr. David Wilt, an internist at the group.
CNN Money |
Senate Rejects Plan to Repeal Medicare Physician Pay Formula |
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Washington Senate Democratic leaders took steps to move a stand-alone bill that would have repealed the widely criticized Medicare physician payment formula in advance of other health system reforms, laying the foundation for a new system to update doctor rates. But the legislation was blocked Oct. 21 by Republicans and Democrats who expressed worries about its cost.
The development means that a multiple-year Medicare payment solution will have to wait until after the Senate takes care of a national health system reform bill later this year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, Nev.) said after the vote.
AMednews |
Report: Americans Waste Up to $850 Billion a Year in Healthcare |
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NEW YORK - America's annual healthcare bill could be reduced by $600 billion to $850 billion if the nation learns how to reduce wasteful spending, according to a new report by Thomson Reuters.
A white paper released Monday by the New York-based electronic information services company identifies the most significant drivers of wasteful spending as administrative inefficiency, unnecessary treatment, medical errors and fraud.
Healthcare Financial News |
GAO Finds Physician Profiling Can Work |
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A formula being considered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that reflects how physicians use resources-ranging from hospital services to durable medical equipment-and how that influences patients' decisions appears to work, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
In 2008, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act directed the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary to develop a program to provide physicians with confidential feedback on the Medicare resources they used to provide care to Medicare patients. GAO was asked to evaluate the "per capita methodology" for profiling physicians-a method that measured a patient's resource use over a fixed period of time and connected that resource use to physicians.
Health Leaders Medai |
Dr. Joshua Hirsch Receives Promotion |
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Dr. Joshua Hirsch has been appointed to a newly created position of Associate Vice Chair of Interventional Care for Massachusetts General Hospital Imaging.
In this new position, Dr. Hirsch will oversee all interventional services, unifying the previously separate interventional operations that span seven departmental divisions: Abdominal, Breast, Interventional Neuroradiology/Endovascular Surgery, Musculoskeletal, Neuroradiology, Thoracic and Vascular.
A primary focus of this new position will be to implement effective programs for standardizing and streamlining operations-while simultaneously improving quality and safety. One such initiative currently underway is the application of "Lean" methodology techniques to interventional practices and procedures. |
Upcoming State Society Meetings |
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WVASIPP Plans Annual Meeting June 11-13, 2010
Mark your calendars now and make plans to attend West Virginia Society of Interventional Pain Physician annual meeting at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, June 11-13, 2010.
Featured topics include SCS for Angina, Facial Pain, Peripheral Nerve Pain, Epigastric and Abdominal Pain, Pelvic Pain, Pulsed Radiofrequency, Minimally invasive techniques for spinal disease and much more
Featured faculty includes: Timothy Deer, MD, course director; Ken Alo, MD, Giancarlo Barolat, MD, Ricard Bowman, MD, Christopher Kim, MD, Matthew Ranson, MD, Lou Raso, MD, Harold Cordner, MD, Nagy Mekhail, MD, Sudhir Diwan, MD, Raj Patel, MD, John Schmidt, MD, Stan Golovac, MD, Lora Brown, MD, Richard Weiner, MD, Salim Hayek, MD, Leo Kapural, MD and cochairs Richard Rauck, MD, Robert Levy, MD, PhD, and David Caraway, MD, PhD.
Session fees discounted for WVSIPP and ASIPP members. For more information call Michelle Byers, Director of Education: michellebyers@roadrunner.com
To Register
Save the Date: CASIPP Annual Meeting in May
Mark your calendar for the California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians Annual Meeting May 14-16, 2010 in Santa Barbara.
Join Your CASIPP Colleagues On The American Riviera:
- Earn CME hours with distinguished faculty
- Stay at the storied Biltmore Four Seasons
- Book Now! Special Room Rate for early
- For more information or to register contact sbcme2010@aol.com or by phone at 661-435-3473
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Physicians Wanted |
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Visit the ASIPP Web site to find available positions for IPM physicians.
Physicians Wanted |
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Copyright © 2008
American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians ®
81 Lakeview Drive, Paducah, KY 42001
Phone 270.554.9412, Fax 270.554.5394
E-mail asipp@asipp.org
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